July 21, 2020 — A healthy conversation is shaping up because of COVID-19. It’s all about the gap between talk and action on obesity. In the UK, it has a hashtag: #ActOnObsityNow. Though it’s happening more quietly in the U.S., the same conversation is in play. Will actions match our words about the urgency of obesity? The question of […]
July 20, 2020 — Anticipation is growing. A UK obesity plan is coming soon from Boris Johnson’s administration. Johnson has latched onto a conviction that Britain must slim down to fare better in the next wave of the coronavirus pandemic. It’s not a bad idea. But will it be all about inspiration and exhortation? Or instead, will it bring […]
July 19, 2020 — People adapt. This is a powerful fact of human psychology that hands us the problem of shifting baselines. When circumstances change, people come to accept a new normal. Even jarring changes, such as the blitz on London during World War II, might shock people at first. Yet after a time, people come to accept a […]
July 18, 2020 — The fitness industry is a bit of a mess right now. That’s because, in many places, health clubs are not very healthy places to be. The great indoors is a great place to share the coronavirus. Especially if you’re sweating and breathing hard. But Jack Raglin, a kinesiology professor at the Indiana University School of […]
July 17, 2020 — This week from the New England Journal of Medicine, a perspective on COVID-19, disparities, nutrition, and obesity popped up. Great! But then we read it. Social determinants of health . . . a healthy diet . . . food deserts . . . minority groups face hurdles. The authors piled on familiar phrases. In sum, […]
July 16, 2020 — For most people, it’s invisible. But looking at the world through the eyes of a well-informed person living with obesity, it’s easy to see. Healthcare is not for us. Obesity care is mostly out of reach. Bariatric surgery is for the privileged. In fact, new research from the University of Georgia tells us that people […]
July 15, 2020 — Maybe you’ve noticed. The news coming from Washington is lots of noise and not much news. So why should the 2020 Dietary Guidelines be any different? We’re about halfway through the process and Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee is wrapping up its work. But it doesn’t look like the experts will be recommending a lot of […]
July 14, 2020 — The interaction between COVID-19 and obesity is producing diverse responses. From some folks we hear denial. From elsewhere, we hear that concerns about obesity are expressions of racism. Still others will tell us that their favorite diet advice is the answer. Of course on Twitter, low-carb diets for COVID-19 are a hot topic today. But […]
July 13, 2020 — There’s quite a buzz in the air about a plan for the UK to overcome obesity. Good for Boris Johnson, who saw the light on obesity after coming face to face with his own mortality. All this because he was briefly the world’s most famous ICU patient with COVID-19. He blamed the severity of his […]
July 12, 2020 — For 15 years, the OAC has made the impossible seem doable. Twenty years ago, it seemed impossible to have people with obesity banding together. In fact, one of the smartest thinkers in obesity told us that people would never sign up for such a thing. “Obesity is way too stigmatized,” he said. But nobody told […]
